Among the winners of this year's da Vinci Awards, sponsored by the UAW-GM, are the Brake-Well Wheelchair Braking System and the Pushrim Activated Power Assisted Wheelchair.

The Brake-Well Wheelchair Braking System is a set of brakes for wheelchairs based on the principles of Universal Design. The system enables the user to safely stop the wheelchair while it is in motion or negotiating an incline. With the Brake-Well Wheelchair Braking System, the disabled and their caretakers do not need to worry about traveling on ramps or making sudden stops. The system may also be used to create a walker out of a wheelchair.

The Pushrim Activated Power Assisted Wheelchair (PAPAW), created by Yamaha Motor Co Ltd, is an option for those who have upper-extremity joint degeneration, reduced exercise capacity, reduced strength, or endurance issues. PAPAW is compact, lightweight, and reduces the amount of fatigue while increasing the range of mobility for its user.

Past winners of the da Vinci Awards have included the Independence iBOT 4000 Mobility System and the C-Leg by Otto Bock.

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